When I Fall In Love
by 24isthebest
Summary: "Did you really come all the way to Nashville just to personally give me these?" His left hand, devoid of the gold band, drummed on the desk hard. "Couldn't you have just had your lawyers do your dirty work?" A Juliette and Avery Future Fic.
1. Chapter 1

This idea's kind of been rolling around in my head for a while. I usually only write one-shots, but this one will be a bit longer. This was a strange dynamic for me to write to be honest, JA in all my stories have generally been on the same wavelength. This was one different.

Please read and review if you like it and want me to continue!

* * *

"Mama, how much longer until we land?" Her daughter shook the hand that was clenched around her own knee nervously.

"Baby, it'll probably be an hour more." Her stomach lurched at the thought of stepping foot into Nashville again in such a short time period. She wasn't ready yet.

"Is daddy picking us up?" She saw her daughter's eyes fill with hope, and it made her feel guilty for the next words she had to say.

"We talked about this Melody." She explained calmly, trying not to raise her voice with emotion. "The car is going to take us home."

She had to turn towards the window before she could see the disappointment overtake her daughter's face. It was the eyes that got her every time. That was certainly a trait she had gotten from Avery. His entire face could be calm, but his eyes always gave him away. They always drew her in.

She pushed those thoughts away quickly. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was him in that way. She needed to think about how to convince him to sign those damn papers. That was her priority here.

"Is daddy at least going to be at the house when we get home?"

She slipped her sunglasses on, feeling the plane descending. "No baby." She grabbed her daughter's hand, feeling the small fingers entwine fingers with hers. "It's just you and me."

* * *

She made her way down the hallway slowly, breathing in the familiar settings. There on the walls was her face, plastered next to platinum plaques. And even though there were other plaques next to her, nobody had as many up there as she did.

She saved this label from imploding, and she would be damned if everyone did not know that fact. Straightening her spine, she walked towards the back office, slamming face to face with a young brunette.

"God I'm sorry." The tanned girl let out apologetically, before letting the shock register on her face. "Ms. Barnes. It's a pleasure meeting you. I'm a big fan."

She clicked her tongue in response, noticing how painfully thin the girl in front of her was, and how her hair was just the tiniest bit too shiny.

"Right." She bit her tongue, trying to control her clear anxiousness. She masked it with confidence instead. "I need to see Avery, is he in his office?"

The brunette, clearly over her star struck demeanor, walked back towards the desk, shuffling papers around. "Sorry, he's in a meeting right now and he asked to not be disturbed."

"Can you tell him Juliette Barnes is here to see him? He should have been expecting me today."

"Do you have an appointment?" The brunette asked, looking through his appointment book for her name.

"No, I do not have an _appointment_ to see him."

"I'm sorry." The girl's friendly tone was almost borderline obnoxious at this point. "He asked that no one disturb him. He is in a very important call. Is it possible for you to wait until he's done?"

_For Christ's sake. _"Are you new or incompetent?" she spit out angrily. "Are you really telling me that I can't see my husband?"

Even saying the words threw her off a little, but she stayed firm.

"Ms. Barnes…"

"It's Mrs. Barkley to you." _Not for long though._

"I'm sorry," the brunette shook her head, eyes wide in embarrassment. "I didn't realize, you were still…"

She rolled her eyes, trying to play off the uneasiness in her stomach. "You might want to start talking to your boss instead of reading tabloids about him." She threw her purse on the assistant's desk roughly to make a point. "I'm going in."

"But he said…"

"I really don't give a shit about what he said." She threw over her shoulder, storming towards his office door and swinging it wide open.

She saw Avery look up from his notepad at his desk and freeze.

"Surprise." She said spit out with a snarl. "Whoever you're on the phone with can wait."

_If looks could kill_. "I apologize guys, an emergency came up. But think about the deal I laid out for y'all, and give my assistant or me a call back with final word. Highway 65 would be honored to have you guys here."

"We'll definitely think it over. Thanks for your time Avery." She heard a young female voice over speaker, with a male voice chiming behind her.

"No problem. Take care guys." He pressed the speaker button calmly to end the call, looking over at her tapping her foot impatiently.

"Avery, I'm so sorry." She could feel the timid assistant behind her, but she didn't even bother looking. All she could see was the man in front of her, sitting at the desk. _All she could hear were the last words they had spoken to each other in person_. "I told her you were in a conference call, but she…"

She spun around angrily, leering down at the assistant until she visibly saw her shrink.

"It's alright Hannah." He looked over kindly at her. She almost lost her composure seeing the way he looked right past her to the nobody assistant behind her. "I got through the main points with them."

"Mrs. Barkley, you left your purse outside on my desk." His assistant handed over the large handbag by the tips of her fingers, withering back like she was preparing for another verbal attack.

She clenched her teeth. It was alright for _that name_ to be said when she was trying to manipulate her way in here, but hearing it said with Avery in the room was the height of humiliation. "It's Ms. Barnes. And thank you." She snatched the bag from the fragile brunette's arms, glaring.

She remembered the first time she was called by his last name in public with him. It wasn't even anything significant, just a valet attendant reading her name off the card. But it didn't matter. Her heart still skipped a beat when she had seen Avery's smile in reaction to hearing the name, and she thanked the valet with a larger tip than usual.

She turned towards Avery, sitting herself down on the chair opposite his desk. "Didn't you know I was going to be here today?"

"I did." His outward demeanor was icy. "But it's not like Glenn told me an exact time. Should I have cancelled all my meetings waiting for you to stop by?"

"You could have at least told your assistant you were expecting me."

"I've learned not to expect anything from you anymore Juliette." The words hit her like a blow to the stomach. "Where's Melody?"

"She's with Gunnar and Zoey. I dropped her off before coming here." She licked her lips a little, trying to keep her composure. "She asks about you all the time."

"Of course she does Juliette." He threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "I'm her fucking father. What do you expect?"

She clenched backwards from him. "I was just saying…"

"You're always _just saying_ Juliette. Why are you dangling that in front of my face, like it's _my fault_?"

"I didn't come here to talk about this." Her voice grew soft but firm.

"You can't say stuff to me like that and expect me to not react." He looked at her with disgust. "You can't be selfish and expect me to apologize. I won't."

"Right. Because apologies from you hold so well." She rolled her eyes, biting back the venom spewing. "But please, continue to sit on your high horse and blame me like it's _my fault_." She motioned with her hands angrily.

He stood up quickly, hands clenched on the ends of the desk tightly. She could see him trying to calm his breathing.

She had to take control of this situation quickly, before he gained the upper hand here.

"Like I said," She repeated calmly, fighting the storm within her, "I didn't come here to talk about that. I don't want to fight."

"Then why are you here?" He leaned back on his heels, surveying her. "What do you want?"

She pulled the envelope from her purse carefully, tossing it on the desk in front of him.

He knew what the papers were. She could feel it in the way his gaze never left hers, studying her carefully.

"Did you really come all the way to Nashville just to personally give me these?" His left hand, devoid of the gold band, drummed on the desk hard. "Couldn't you just have had your lawyers do your dirty work?"

"Avery, I'm not here to fight." She answered, tilting her face away from his.

There was a time when he would have seen her action and taken her hand, rubbing his thumb softly against hers to implicitly ask her what was wrong. But that time was long gone.

"Then what? Have you all of the sudden gained a conscious?"

That stung, but she swallowed it like a bitter pill. "I thought it would be better to hash all this stuff out in person. We can't avoid each other forever."

She saw him shake his head a little in defiance. "You mean you can't keep my daughter away from me forever, right?"

He was right there. It always threw her how well he understood her motivations. But she knew him too; he wouldn't sign these papers willingly unless she extended the first olive branch. As much as she hated having this conversation face to face, it was the best move towards getting what she needed.

"We have a daughter Avery, and she needs her dad now. I know that." That was the closest to an apology she was gonna give. "We need to be on somewhat civil terms for this to work. We owe it to her."

His eyes, once blazing, seems to mellow a bit at the mention of Melody. "You said she's been asking about me?"

She nodded in response. "Yep. She got the bear that you gave her from Glenn. I have to take it from her at night to wash it while she sleeps. She doesn't let that thing out of her sight."

He smiled softly at the thought. "Glad she likes it. I figured it would be perfect for her."

"It's perfect because you got it for her." She nodded towards him, biting her lip softly.

"I wanna see her while you guys are in town." He said firmly. But his voice held a softness that she gravitated towards. "I'm assuming you'll be headed back to L.A. soon?"

She nodded carefully. "I'm here with Glenn doing a few promo things locally here, but I mainly came to give her some time with you while we work things out in person."

"Thank you." His voice grew soft. "I really needed to see her again."

"You know," she looked down at the floor before looking back up at him, "Despite _us_… I was never gonna keep you from her. She needs you."

"I know that. And I know you wouldn't do that." He crossed his arms a little, widening his stance. "You let me know when you want to meet with the lawyers to deal with all this legal stuff."

"Sure. We can get that all set up." She said nonchalantly, pushing away anything that even remotely felt like pain. "I changed my number, is yours still the same?"

"Still the same." He nodded carefully. "I can just stop by whenever you want. Where are you staying?"

She paused. "I'm staying at the house."

She had thought to get a hotel suite, but she couldn't take everything away from Melody all at once. That house was the only home her daughter had ever known. And the only home that she had ever known as well, but it was profoundly different now. All Melody saw was her bedroom and her dolls still perched on the ledge of her bay window, like she had never left. She was the one who had to sleep in the king size bed alone.

"The house." He repeated, like she had misspoken. "Ok. Are you guys free tomorrow?"

"I have a press event to promote the new movie. I was gonna drop her by Zoey and Gunnar again, but maybe you could just watch her instead?"

"Babysitting my daughter." He laughed a little at the thought. "Yeah. I think I can do that."

"Great. Come by around 5. " She said tightly, pushing her purse up her shoulder. "And apologize to your assistant for me please. I was in a mood."

He nodded as she gave him an awkward smile before leaving quickly. Tears burned in her eyes as the entire conversation fully sunk into her being.

She was getting a divorce, officially. He had agreed to it without a fight. All her worries about him not being cooperative were no longer an issue.

So why didn't it feel as good as she had thought it would?


	2. Chapter 2

sorry for the late update, things have just been busy! and the javery storyline has been so great since the season started up again. I can't wait to see where it's going!

please read and review as to what you like and don't like!

* * *

"Melody, didn't I tell you to pick up your dolls from the living room?" She grabbed her bruised toe roughly. "You know the rules. If you wanna play with your toys out here, you have to put them away when you are done."

"I wanna play with them when daddy gets here!" Her daughter's blonde curls bounced in excitement. "I wanna show him the new doll Aunt Zoey got me."

"Baby, I'm sure daddy will love to see the doll." She tightened her robe around her body, kneeling down to her daughter's height. "But mama just tripped and got hurt. See?" She motioned to the bruise on her foot.

"Sorry mama. I didn't mean to." Her daughter sank her head a little in embarrassment.

"It's alright baby. Just be careful next time." She placed a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Mama's running late for her party."

The doorbell rang loudly, and Melody dropped the dolls in her grasp. "Is that daddy?"

She looked over at the clock and sighed. It was exactly 5:00 pm. Before she could process, Melody had already run to the door.

"Melody!" She yelled, running across the hardwood floor after her, only to be met with the sight of Melody jumping into Avery's arms as he lifted and spun her around.

"Daddy!" she shrieked loudly as Avery grasped her tightly in his arms. The sight of them together still took her breath away, no matter how many times she saw it. Avery pressed his forehead to Melody's, kissing the tip of her nose softly as she giggled.

She found her voice. "Melody. We talked about this. You don't open the door for anyone without me."

"But mama, I knew it was daddy." She pouted, arms still tight around Avery's neck. "I just knew it!"

"Honey, listen to your mama." He looked straight at their daughter firmly. "Next time, you wait for her to come open the door for me."

"Fine." Melody pouted a little, nuzzling her head in his neck.

"Sweetheart, why don't you give your dad a break?" She laughed at the grip Melody had on him. "He needs to breathe a little."

"No." Avery's voice broke the atmosphere. His gaze towards her shook a little. "It's alright. You go get ready."

Now that he had acknowledged her, she felt the awkwardness of the entire situation settle in. Based on the way his eyes averted, she knew he felt it as well.

"Right." She nodded firmly, turning her body away from him slightly. "I'll be in the bedroom getting ready. The car is supposed to get me in an hour."

"Go ahead." He said nonchalantly, still focused on the young girl in his arms, playing with the tips of her curls.

"Mama, can I show daddy my dolls now?"

"Of course sweetheart. I'm sure your daddy would love to see them."

"They're in the living room!" She forced Avery to put her down, grabbing his hand to lead the way. "Let's go!"

Juliette gripped the end of her robe tightly, watching them walk towards the living room hand in hand, pushing down something reminiscent to guilt as she walked in the opposite direction towards the bedroom.

There was nothing she could do at this point to solve this; too much had been set in motion up until this point. But even she could not deny how full her heart had felt seeing him in this house with her and Melody.

She shook her thoughts, grabbing her dress quickly. This is exactly why she avoided coming back to Nashville. Everything was full of what could have been.

As she tousled her hair lightly and applied powder over her face, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." She said quickly, trying to pull at her dress zipper.

"Hey." Avery peaked his head in the door a bit, clearly cautious. "Melody didn't eat dinner yet right? She says she wants mango ice cream?"

"She always wants mango ice cream ever since Gunnar gave it to her the other day." She rolled her eyes, still trying to tug her zipper up. "She didn't eat dinner yet though."

"That's what I figured." He smirked a bit to himself. "She's getting pretty good at batting those lashes now. I almost caved in to giving her ice cream."

"She won't be too happy when all that ice cream gives her a stomachache." Still no budging on the zipper. "Damn it."

He treaded into the room carefully. "You need help?"

"No." She spit out fast. "Damn it. If I don't fit into this dress…"

She moved towards the long mirror, analyzing the folds in the tight black dress to see if any material was caught. She grabbed at her hips roughly. Had she gained weight?

"Juliette it's just a zipper." She could see him restraining his irritation. "Let me help, aren't you running late?"

She sighed in defeat, looking at his reflection in the mirror. "Fine."

She saw him step behind her slowly, grabbing at the zipper at the base of her spine. He pushed the material caught in the zipper to the side slightly, and it took everything in her to control her shiver as she felt at his calloused hands against her skin. He slowly zipped up the dress with ease, before backing away from her like he had been burned.

She was the plague after all, infecting all who came in her path.

"Thanks." She said softly, fearfully looking up at his gaze. But he was focused on her hand. It took her a moment to realize what he was staring at.

"I forgot to tell you," she moved away from his grasp towards her closet, pulling out her long coat. "Publicity from the movie wants me to keep the ring on for now, at least until the movie press is over."

He crossed his arms defensively. "Why would they care?" She heard the words he wanted to say more. _Why would you care?_

She looked at him carefully, keeping her face stoic. "The movie keeps getting press over an affair between Ben and I, so they told me to start wearing my ring again."

"And that's gonna kill the rumors?" He looked at her carefully.

"Well, considering I don't have the best track record with working with married men in the eyes of the public, this was the only way to put down some of the rumors." It was either wearing the damn ring or having Avery walk the red carpet with her to quell the rumors that they were getting a divorce. The minute the publicity team had mentioned Avery, Glenn had shot it down before she could murder anyone in cold blood.

She straightened her stance, looking at him boldly. Her eyes dared him to ask her whether the rumors were actually true.

"Whatever works I guess." He clearly looked uneasy. "I better go check on Melody and order that pizza."

In the distance, she heard the doorbell ring.

"Go ahead." She pulled her shoes in her hand, motioning for him to lead the way. "That's probably the car for me."

She followed him back into the living room, slipping her heels on as she walked.

"Mama you look so pretty!" Melody jumped up from the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs, knocking her off balance a little.

"Thanks baby." She knelt down to scoop her daughter into a tight hug. "You be good for daddy ok? I'll be home as soon as I can."

"How long are you gonna be gone mama?" She pouted a little, looking over at Avery, who was sitting on the couch.

"Not that long baby, I swear. I'll see you tomorrow morning. And daddy's gonna tuck you into bed tonight."

"But I want you _and_ daddy to sing me a song." She pouted a little, and it took everything in Juliette not to cave.

"Baby, daddy's gonna sing you the very best song tonight. And I'll sing tomorrow." She met her daughter's sad eyes carefully. "Uncle Glenn and Aunt Emily are waiting for me baby, I gotta go."

"Is Uncle Ben gonna be there too?"

She stiffened a little, and stole a glance over at Avery. "Yeah baby, he's gonna be there too. Everyone working on the movie is gonna be there."

"I don't like it when you leave." Her daughters green eyes filled with tears instantly.

"Melody, come on." Avery moved towards them, grabbing her small body from behind, lifting her out of Juliette's grasp. "How old are you now?"

She sniffled. "Four and three quarters."

"Exactly. You're a big girl! We're gonna have so much fun together, and before you know it, mama will be back." He smiled brightly at his daughter. "Don't you wanna spend time with me?"

Melody nodded carefully, forgetting about everything else.

"Good. Now kiss your mama goodbye and then you can pick a movie for us to watch."

He set her down carefully, as Melody ran into her open arms and gripped her tightly again. Her daughter smelt like clean soap and strawberries, and it took everything for her to eventually let go. Melody kissed her cheek softly. "See you mama."

"See you later baby." She stood up carefully, taking a deep breath before looking over at Avery. "Call me if there's any problems."

He bristled. "There won't be an issues, you don't have to worry about that. Go to your event."

She bit her lip. "Fine. I'll be home early."

* * *

"_Yes, I'm getting into the house now. You don't have to keep checking in on me, I'm alright." All the lights were off in the house already as she slowly closed the door behind her. She laughed softly at the voice over the phone. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

_Slipping off her shoes, she padded her feet across the hardwood floor quietly before realizing the presence on the couch. _

"_Avery." She gripped her chest, catching her breath. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"_

_His hands gripped the sides of the couch roughly, like he was controlling his anger. His eyes darted across her face quickly. _

"_Avery, you're scaring me." She pushed her hair behind her ears, slipping her phone in her purse. _

"_Who were you on the phone with?" He looked at the pocket where her phone was, instead of looking at her. _

_Her eyes darted over his face, studying his reaction. "What?"_

"_Who was on the phone Juliette?" She stood in front of the couch, facing him as he inquired. _

"_It was just Ben, he was calling me to see if I got home alright."_

"_How kind of him." He got up from the couch, rolling his eyes. "Did you remember today was Melody's piano recital? Or are you so wrapped up in your own world that you forget everything that doesn't center around you?"_

_Shit._

"_That was today." She felt sick to her stomach. "I had it marked for tomorrow."_

"_It was today Juliette." His eyes looked her up and down. "Maybe if you had spent more time actually paying attention to this family you would have had the right date."_

_She jerked back incredulously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

"_It means," he clenched his fists, "I just spent the past hour explaining to Melody why her mother was not there! I'm tired of it Juliette. I'm tired of defending you to her."_

"_I had the wrong date Avery, and filming ran late today. You are blowing this out of proportion." Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of Melody crying herself to sleep. Her hand rested over her stomach, trying to press nausea away. "The movie's almost done, and then things can go back to normal around here."_

"_I'm blowing things out of proportion." His eyes taunted her, pushing her towards a place of pure hot anger. "You're spending time with your co-star instead of coming to your daughter's recital and I'm blowing things out of proportion?"_

"_I was filming today." She said carefully before continuing, "But I'm sure that's not what you mean. Just spit it out Avery. Say what you wanna say."_

_He scoffed. "You are unbelievable."_

"_I'm unbelievable?" She put her hands on her hips. "You're accusing me of not being here? Where the hell have you been these past couple months?"_

_It was his turn to jerk back. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

"_It means you act like you are holding this family together." She clenched her teeth, letting all her frustration out. "How many times have you chosen to stay late at work instead of coming home? Why are you allowed to do that and I'm not?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Don't turn this into some misogynistic thing on my part. I have been around."_

"_Really." She stepped closer. "When was the last time you didn't stay at work late? When was the last time you were here to actually put Melody to bed?"_

"_Tonight." He pointed upstairs towards her room. "Unlike you."_

"_The one night I'm not here. I bring her to my set and I moved my hours so I would be here. So don't tell me this family isn't a priority to me." She rolled her eyes. _

"_Doesn't seem like it to me."_

"_And by the way, the next time you accuse me of having an affair, be a man and say the words to my face." She threw her purse on the couch angrily, ignoring his last words. "Pulling a page right from your father's handbook aren't you? I'm not your mother; passive-aggressive doesn't work for me Avery."_

_His eyes hardened. "Figured I'd give you some plausible deniability. But I guess your history speaks for itself huh?"_

_Her eyes burned at the mention of that. "Fuck you Avery."_

"_You certainly haven't been for months now."_

"_And that's your logic for assuming I'm sleeping around? You bring up the one mistake I made before Melody was born and document our lack of a sex life? Last time I checked, you were the one not sleeping in our bedroom."_

"_And you were the one who's been emotionally distant for months now. It's not for a lack of trying Juliette."_

"_Let me tell you something Avery Barkley." She snarled. "I'm not your property. I'm allowed to have a life outside of you. I'm allowed to have feelings that have nothing to do with you."_

_He paused before continuing. "If this family is such a burden to you, let me know. Like you said, I don't own you. You can feel free to come and go as you please, with no responsibility to anyone."_

_She rolled her eyes. "Don't turn this around on me. I am here!"_

_His voice rose. "You may be here physically, but you don't want to be here. Not really. I know you." There was no way Melody wasn't going to wake up; their voices has escalated quickly. _

"_You don't know me Avery." She snarled. "You clearly don't know me if you think this family isn't my priority."_

"_You have no idea what it means to be part of a family Juliette." _

_Her heart clenched, as she looked at the stranger across from her._

* * *

She locked the door behind her, expecting to be greeted with loud conversation. Instead, it was eerily quiet throughout the house. Putting down her clutch and keys, she walked towards the living room.

The lights of the television flashed brightly, but the sound had clearly been muted.

Looking over at the couch, she saw Avery spread lengthwise, with their daughter lying next to him. They had both seemingly fallen asleep watching the movie. Avery's arms were wrapped around Melody fully, and her hand lay over his heart. The only movement came from Avery's chest rising and falling to the pace of his breathing, moving their daughter's small head up and down as well.

She sat on the floor next to the couch, ingraining the image into her memory before shaking Avery's shoulder to wake him.

His arms shifted a little as she saw him turn towards her, realizing where he was. "Hey."

"Hey." She smiled back softly, keeping her voice at a whisper.

He looked down at Melody, still sound asleep. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I must have dozed off halfway through the movie."

"It's alright." She looked over at the television. "She's seen this Tinkerbell movie about a hundred times."

"I didn't know that." He replied sheepishly. "I figured I would surprise her with the new one. She already knew every word to it."

Her heart filled with guilt.

"Avery." Her voice remained a whisper as she looked at him.

"You know," he looked down at Melody and tightened his grip on her. "She's growing up so fast. How is she almost five years old already?"

"I know. I feel like we just found out I was pregnant not that long ago." She folded her legs under her, resting her hands on her knees. "I'm sorry."

"I hated you Juliette." But there was no malice in his tone. "I hated that I came home and saw that note. I hated you took my daughter with you and left for an entire month."

"I know." She hung her head in shame.

"I still hate you for it." He placed a hand over Melody's head softly, shifting her a little. "But I hate that I didn't fight for my family. I let you take her across the country and I did nothing."

"I was the selfish one." She averted her eyes, trying to not let him see the tears there. "All I could hear was you telling me I wasn't good enough. So I ran."

"Would things have been different if I had come after you?" He looked at her, and she could see the man she had fallen for in front of her.

_You have no idea what it means to be part of a family Juliette_.

She bit her lip hard. "Some people just aren't good for each other. They bring out the worst in each other you know? Maybe that's us."

He turned his head towards the ceiling. "Maybe."

"Melody deserves the best life, and that means having you in it." She reached over to touch his arm softly. It was the cold metal of her wedding ring that reminded them of their proximity.

She quickly put her hand down, pulling the ring off swiftly.

"I wanna be here Juliette. I really do." He sat up, scooping Melody in his arms. "I'm gonna put her in her bed if that's alright."

"Put her in our bed. I promised her she could sleep with me tonight."

_Our bed. _

She realized what she had said too late, but if Avery was uncomfortable he certainly did not let on. He just nodded, moving towards the stairs quickly.

She picked up her ring, gripping it in her hand tightly until all she could see was the imprint it had left.

It stung.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a long time since I updated, I apologize! Here's an update, hope you all enjoy

* * *

_She could feel his hot breath behind her._

"_Aren't you tired of listening to the radio yet? Why don't you come sit on the couch with me?" His voice slurred heavily._

_Every muscle in her body tensed. "I just wanna hear the rest of the song and then I got homework to do." _

_She scooted her chair closer to the radio so she couldn't smell the whiskey that he reeked of. The edge of the table felt sticky underneath her fingertips. _

"_Homework?" His massive hands rested on her shoulders tightly, massaging in a way that would give her bruises tomorrow. "How much homework could they possibly be giving you in the 7__th__ grade?" His hands engulfed her entire shoulders. _

_She bristled, leaning out of his heavy hands as discreetly as possible. "I'm in 8__th__."_

"_8__th__ grade huh?" He sat at the table with her, scooting his chair closer to hers. "You're almost an adult aren't you?"_

"_I guess." She bit her lip so hard she could taste blood. _

"_You're a pretty girl, you know that?" A hand rested on her leg, traveling further and further up. "Just like your mama."_

"Mama, what's wrong?" she could feel small fingers on her arm, gripping tightly. "Mama?"

Everything came into focus in the darkness. She was in her room. She was in her bed.

"Mama, you were crying in your sleep. What's wrong?" Her daughter's wild blond curls spilled on to her stomach. Shifting, Melody rested her small chin on her rib cage, looking up at her with tears. "Did you have a bad dream?"

_It was just a dream, that's all it was. _She slowed down her breathing, looking at her daughter's scared face._ She hadn't had those dreams in a long time_.

She sat up to lean against the headboard of the bed, cradling her daughter in her arms tightly. "Yes baby, it was just a bad dream." She patted down Melody's wild hair. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

The tiny head resting on her chest buried deeper. "I don't like seeing you cry mama."

Still holding on to her daughter, she laid back down, nuzzling the small body against hers tightly. "Everybody cries sometimes. Even Mama."

"Are you sad Mama?" The profound question hung in the air, sitting on her chest like a heavy weight.

"No sweetheart." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I have you. What do I have to be sad about?"

With Melody in her arms, she counted the tiny breaths coming from her daughter until they slowed rhythmically, indicating she had gone back to sleep. Since they had come back to Nashville, Melody had made a habit of sleeping in her bed with her. She knew she would have to break that habit eventually, but it was much harder than it looked. Seeing those eyes look up at her innocently cracked her resolve every time. Plus, her favorite part of the night had become listening to her daughter go to sleep, knowing that her entire world was safe and beside her.

"I love you baby girl." She whispered into the dark, falling back into an uneasy sleep with the warmth of her daughter pressed against her side.

* * *

"Thanks for meeting me here Rayna." He sat down on the bench next to her, pulling a folder out of his carrier bag to hand to her.

"No problem." She smiled over at him. "If anyone knows how important time with the kids is, it's me." She looked over at Melody playing on the monkey bars and waved widely.

"Things have been a bit jam packed for me lately. Sorry about that."

"Nothing to apologize over." She said kindly, while skimming through the file. "If you knew how many times Bucky had to meet me over at dance lessons for the girls, you wouldn't be apologizing."

He leaned back on the bench, looking over at his daughter running with a new friend she had made. No matter where she went, she always made friends.

"Contract looks great." Rayna continued to flip over the paperwork. "You really think this band could be the next big thing?"

"I really do." Avery nodded. "Deacon showed me some of their stuff, and I think I can really work with their sound and energy."

"Deacon was pretty crazy about them when he spotted them over at Mercy Lounge a few months ago." She closed the file. "You got a projected timeline?"

"I kinda wanted to talk to them about their sound before putting it down to a timeline."

"Sounds great." She nodded, pulling out her phone to make notes. "I'll forward you the meeting invite. I wanna bring you in on my next meet-up with them to finalize the details. Sound good?"

"I'll make it work." He scanned the playground, looking for his daughter's curly blonde head.

Turning back, he saw Rayna smiling over at him. "How's everything going with you?"

"It's alright." He flicked an imaginary piece of lint off his jeans. "Melody being around is great."

"I'm sure it is." She nodded, folding her hands carefully, waiting for him to continue.

There was something about Rayna Jaymes that always demanded respect, but in the most caring way. It was definitely a gift. She always had a way of making him open up without him realizing.

"It's harder than I thought." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Only getting her on certain days. It's been a learning process."

"It gets easier." Her eyes shone with sympathy. "When Teddy and I started out our divorce process, it was really difficult to get on the same page with the pickups and drop-offs and who gets them on what days. But after a while, you fall into a rhythm."

"Right." His chest clenched a little. "It's just never really…"

"What you had imagined." She finished his sentence knowingly.

"Nobody really goes into a marriage thinking about what happens when it ends, right?" He shifted uncomfortably on the bench, moving away from Rayna's gaze.

"When are you meeting with the lawyers?"

"Tomorrow." He fiddled with his fingers a bit.

She paused a little, and he could see she was debating whether or not to prod him further. "And how do you feel about it?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure how to feel." He stretched his legs, looking ahead. "I know it's the right step, but it's just hard to let go sometimes."

Letting a dream die was always the hardest. He knew that better than anyone.

"Avery." she paused in contemplation before continuing, "When Teddy and I got divorced, we knew it was right. There was a peace about it, even if it didn't seem like it at the time."

"I'm just trying to think of what's best for Melody now, you know?" His eyes locked in on his daughter on the swings. "I don't wanna be cut out of her life."

"Juliette would never do that to you." Rayna said softly. "You just have to get on the same page. If a divorce is what's going to make you guys better parents, then do it. Just…talk to her."

"We do talk." He bristled.

He saw the woman next to him roll her eyes. "I mean _really_ talk. You two are way too stubborn for your own good sometimes."

"Have you been talking to her recently or something?" He knew the answer. He knew how close Rayna and Juliette were.

"What does that matter?" Rayna replied exasperated. "Listen, I'm trying to be neutral here. All I'm saying is, you two need sit down and really discuss things. She's only in town for her promo for a little while longer. You can't just sign papers and be done with her. It doesn't work like that."

"I know that."

"Do you?" the woman raised her voice in challenge. "Because if I'm being honest, all I see is two people who would rather sign divorce papers then sit down and actually talk things out."

If it had been anyone other than Rayna Jaymes saying these words, he would have lashed out instantly. Instead, he inwardly steamed.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line."

"It's alright." He gritted, gripping the edge of the bench tightly.

"Listen to me," She leaned forward, facing him fully, "Even if you guys get divorced, there's a lot more to think about. Have you even explained to Melody what's going on? Have you talked about where she's gonna go to school full-time? Have you talked about what's gonna happen when Juliette moves to LA for good? You can't exactly fly Melody back and forth every week."

The world started to close in a bit. "No. We haven't really talked about any of that."

Her face softened. "I'm just telling you some realities, as someone who has been through this and as your friend. That's all."

"Daddy!" Melody raced over to the bench. Rayna quickly outstretched her arms before she could reach him, pulling Melody into her lap.

Melody giggled, as she looked up at Rayna. "Hi Auntie Rayna!" She kissed the edge of Rayna's chin, wrapping her small arms around her neck tightly.

"How's my favorite goddaughter doing?" Rayna placed a quick kiss on the top of her head, brushing curls out of Melody's eyes.

"Good." She sang out, laughing as Rayna sat her on the bench in between them.

He craned his head down to his daughter's line of view. "You ready to go home?"

She nodded, smiling brightly at him. "I can't wait to see mama! I miss her."

Launching herself into Rayna's arms one more time, she said her goodbye quickly before grabbing his hand to leave, tugging him towards the direction of the car to move him along.

"Think about what I said, alright?" Rayna grabbed his shoulder reassuringly.

He nodded in resignation. "I will."

* * *

She carefully poured herself more red wine, rubbing her finger along the edge of the bottle to stop any stray droplets from staining the beige carpet underneath.

"That's right." She let out softly into the phone, wedging it between her shoulder blade and neck. "That sounds great. I'll see you next week."

She ended the call, sighing loudly in the silence.

Calling Dr. James had felt like admitting defeat. _She was getting help. She was being a better mother for Melody. _

And yet, it still felt like a setback, no matter how many times she told herself it wasn't.

Something would always be in her way. She had finished her promo tour today; it should be a day of celebration. Instead, she was sitting in her house alone, stuck. Stuck in Nashville, stuck in her own past demons… it seemed like the only thing she would no longer be confined in was a marriage.

She still couldn't figure out whether that one was supposed to be put in the "win" or "lose" column of her life.

When she had come back from LA, she had almost imagined this moment to be one of victory. She had come here with one purpose, and she had gotten it. She had gotten him to agree to the divorce, to her and Melody in LA… she had gotten everything she wanted.

Or everything she had _thought_ she had wanted.

Melody needed to be in Nashville. And even if it was painful, so did she. She needed to be in Nashville, if at the very least for her treatment plan. Her heart sprung in instinctual defiance, but she pushed it down quickly. She had thought she was doing well, but it seemed those dreams would always come back after time, no matter where she was.

When she and Avery first started dating, she had tried her best to hide it all. There were some things about her past that she knew he could sense, but never asked about out of respect. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. It felt clenched in her chest in a way that not even Avery would be able to unlock.

When the dreams woke her up in cold sweats or jolted her out of sleep abruptly, she would quickly get her shaking body out of bed before he woke up. Locking the bathroom door behind her, she would just splash cold water on her face, taking deep breaths until she could stop the shaking.

Until the one night she tried to get out of bed and felt his hand grab her arm, stopping her from getting up.

"_Juliette." He sat up, opening his arms for her to fit into. She pressed her trembling body into his, feeling the warmth of his arms engulf her, rubbing her back soothingly. _

_Her tears soaked his shirt. _

"_How long have you been having these dreams?" _

_Part of her had known that he knew all along, and was waiting for the right moment to bring it up to her._

"_I don't know." The tremors in her body grew less frequent. "Years? It feels like forever."_

_His hands slid up her back to cradle the back her head, entwining his fingers in her hair. "Do you wanna talk about it?"_

"_Not really." She shook her head quickly. It wasn't time yet. _

_Wordlessly, he maneuvered his body to lie down again, pulling hers with him. He wrapped her into his arms, resting his head against the pillow lightly so his chin could lean on the top of her head._

_She lay stiffly in the position until she heard his slow breathing. He was asleep. She grabbed his hand from behind her waist, entwining her fingers with his as she let herself be lulled into sleep as well. _

Eventually, she had told him everything. He had never pushed her to share; he knew that would never get anywhere. That was something he always seemed to get about her, even when they had just been friends. He waited for her to get to where he was, on her terms. Whenever she woke up with nightmares, he woke up too, holding her until she could catch her breath again.

One night, while he held her, her tongue loosened and spilled the years of memories that were seeping into her dreams and tormenting her. With her tears on her cheeks and his own tears in her hair, his voice finally spoke after hers had gone on for hours. _"I think you should see someone."_

He had driven her to every appointment with Dr. James, waiting in the parking lot until her session was done.

The idea that she would have to go to Dr. James alone, and drive back in silence without his voice singing along to whatever was on the radio bothered her a bit more than she cared to admit.

"Hey."

The voice jolted her out of her deep thought, causing her to spill some wine on to the carpet.

"Damn it." She saw Melody asleep in his arms and lowered her voice instantly.

"Didn't mean to scare you." He stepped softly into the living room with Melody. "Your door was unlocked."

"I probably should remember to lock it more." She whispered sheepishly, looking at the stain on the beige carpet set in.

"You alright?" He shifted Melody's weight, looking at the carpet and then at her again.

"It's my own fault. I was just sitting here." She motioned to the empty couch area. "Just thinking."

She could see he wanted to probe her further but was restraining.

"Why don't you put her down for bed?" Juliette whispered, motioning towards their sleeping daughter. "And then we can talk." She bit her lip, avoiding his gaze a bit before finally looking at him. "We need to talk."

"I was gonna say the same thing." Avery shifted on his other leg, adjusting Melody's weight in his arms. "Let me go put her down."

As he headed up the stairs towards the bedroom, she moved into the living room, waiting for him to come down. She wrung her hands nervously, trying to find the words to start out the conversation with.

She heard footsteps again as he came into her line of vision, sitting carefully on the other edge of the sectional. They were close enough that their legs could touch if she stretched, but still far enough to let the distance be felt.

"So." Avery broke the silence, rubbing his legs nervously.

"She went down ok?" She interjected quickly, ignoring his cue.

"Yeah, she was already asleep." Avery replied confused. He clearly sensed her nervousness. "What's going on?"

"I just…" her voice broke a bit, as she cleared her throat. "I think we should talk. Before we meet with the lawyers tomorrow."

_For our divorce. _She couldn't say the words, but they both heard it loud and clear.

"I'd rather not hash up awful things in front of the lawyers." She continued, looking at him with a false confidence. "I'll give you anything you want; I don't need any of our shared assets."

He let out a confused look. "All I want is to be able to see Melody."

"Of course you'll be able to see Melody, that's not a question." She continued, leaning forward. "But I'm talking about the house."

"The house?" He looked around before looking at her again. "What about it?"

"I think you should have it."

"I don't want the house Juliette." His voice quickly replied. "This is your land anyway."

She sighed. _She knew he would do this._

"Avery," she grit her teeth a bit at his stubbornness, trying to stay calm. "At least think about it."

"I don't want it. This house is the past." His hands clenched for a second, his leg bouncing up and down. "I could never live here."

The past full of memories that held false promise was what this entire house seemed to be. Memories of them building it together, building a life together. Memories of Melody walking up morning after morning here. The promise of a happy family.

She ran her hands through her hair, playing with the short ends. "Then just sell it."

"I'm not here to make a profit out of this divorce." His gaze drifted slightly. "I just want to be able to see my daughter when I can. That's it. All the other stuff… you can have it all."

"If you make me keep this house, I'll sell it." Her stomach turned at the thought of another family living in this house, making it their home. "I can't keep it either."

"Then don't." He shrugged. "I'm not asking you to keep it. I'm just saying I don't want it."

"Fine." Her voice broke a bit before recovering her stoic demeanor that she had to put on. "If that's what you want."

"That's what I want." He replied firmly, taking a brief pause before continuing. "There is one other thing I want though."

She bit her lip hard, trying to suppress any of the emotions she was feeling from coming out. "What is it?"

"I want to move to LA."

Her jaw dropped a little. "What?" That was _not_ what she had been expecting him to say.

"I want to move to LA, to be close to Melody." He nodded quickly before continuing. "It makes no sense for us to be living across the country from each other. I want to see our daughter grow up. And if you're set on moving to LA, I'm coming too."

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "You want to _move_ to LA?"

"I wanna be where my daughter is." He replied. "Always."

Her eyes burned, pushing down guilt she had thought she had gotten past. Leaning back against the couch cushions, she exhaled. "I was actually going to tell you that I've been thinking about staying in Nashville."

"Nashville?" His eyebrows raised. "Here?"

"What other Nashville is there?" She let out a nervous laugh. "I've been looking at a couple properties for sale, there's some great charter schools that Rayna gave me the names of for when Melody starts kindergarten, Highway 65 is here…"

"So, you and Melody will really stick around here?" His voice interrupted incredulously. "What happened to LA? I thought you were gonna base yourself there?"

She tilted her head, looking at him. "Taking Melody to LA last time was selfish. And the only reason I did it was because I was scared and hurt…I never should have done it." Almost instinctively, she rested a hand on his knee lightly. "You're her father. I don't have a right to keep her on a different coast than you. It's not fair to you or to her."

"I can't tell you how much that means to me." She could see the tears brimming in his eyes, piercing her own heart. "I'm still willing to move to LA if that's what you want."

She shook her head lightly. "For better or worse, Nashville is my home. It's the only place I've ever belonged. And it should be Melody's home too."

His hand grabbed hers lightly in gratitude, and sparks flew through her veins immediately.

"Also," she continued, letting go of his hand as discreetly as possible. "In an effort for full disclosure, I'm going to start seeing Dr. James again regularly, and it's just easier to do all that _here_."

"Dr. James?" His head tilted slightly, processing what she had just said. "Is it … the dreams?"

She nodded, feeling her body clench in memory. "I haven't been seeing anyone regularly for a while now. And last night made me remember that I need to."

"Juliette."

Her eyes quickly filled with tears that she tried to keep down. "I'm only telling you just in case..."

"Hey," he moved closer, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "You're fine. Melody's fine."

"Avery, our daughter woke up in the middle of the night scared yesterday. She was afraid of me."

"She was just scared because you were scared." His eyes looked at her firmly. "That's it."

"I don't want her to see me like that." Her voice caught through the tears. "I don't want her to think her mother is unhinged."

He knew better than anyone how bad she could get. How could she calm Melody down in the middle of the night if she had a bad episode?

"Don't say that. You're her hero." He grabbed her hand reassuringly. "And I'm only a phone call away. If you feel like things are getting bad, you can _always _call me."

"Right." She mindlessly rubbed away tears that had fallen on to her jeans. "For Melody." The words felt selfish and curious at the same time.

He leaned forward towards her. "Not just completely for her." He squeezed her one hand in both of his. "I don't want to see you hurting. No matter what's going on between us…I'm gonna support you."

Her eyes closed slightly, smiling nostalgically at his words. They felt like words that the Avery she used to know would say. "Thank you."

_It felt like the words of the Avery that loved her._

"We're partners in this." He replied softly, letting go of her hand. "If you're not doing well, I need to know. We have to be talking about it. It's what co-parents do."

"Co-parents." The words stuck in her mouth, rolling around in her head.

"Not the worst thing in the world, right?" He let out a short laugh, looking at her again.

"Definitely not." It didn't quite fit yet, but it would eventually.

"She's our gift." He looked up the stairs, smiling at the thought of Melody. " And she is lucky to have you as a mother." His voice had a comfort that reached out to her heart, spreading warmth everywhere.

Her eyes welled with tears. "You are the best father that any daughter could ever have. No regrets on that front. Ever."

He looked at her carefully, as her flittered in his direction. There was so much she wanted to say that would be left unsaid.

"Juliette." He interrupted her racing thoughts, almost nervous in his speech. "For the record, even with everything that happened…I could never regret us getting married."

She smiled towards him, her heart brimming with emotion. "Our baby girl will always know she was made in love."

"She was." He replied, lost in a memory. "Love was never our problem." He got up from the couch, and she followed suit.

"I guess," he kinked his head down, rubbing his neck nervously before looking at her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early." Her face broke into a faint smile, moving towards his arms for a hug instinctively. She could see his reluctance at first, but he moved forward to her surprise.

He laid hands on the small of her back, pulling her to him closely as she wrapped her arms around his waist, breathing him in. There was something about him in this house with her that just felt safe. Like the house she had roamed in room to room for the past two months was finally a home again. Her entire body buzzed with a true contentment that settled softly.

_It was right._

It had always felt right, no matter what state they were in now. _Even though they were supposed to be getting divorced tomorrow_. How was that even possible? The person that had cut her deepest was the only one that seemed to hold her in the fullest security. She could feel his muscles relax under her touch, and his breathing slowed as he moved his face towards her hair, lips light against her scalp.

_You have my heart. You're capable of destroying me._ Hadn't he? Hadn't she done the same in return? Or was the story entirely different?

All her senses were surrounded with his familiarity. She moved her hands from around his waist towards his neck, nuzzling her face impossibly close to his neck. It was as if every action was happening without thought or inhibition. Their hands fell into a comfortable rhythm of rediscovery, as he slid his hands over the curve of her backside, towards her upper back again.

His lips finally moved slowly towards her face, pulling her body away but impossibly close at the same time. Her eyes closed as her breathing came out labored.

She felt lips against her eyelids.

Against her nose.

On her cheekbones.

Her eyes opened to meet his, as his lips hovered over hers.

_You're the one that destroys people Juliette. _

Wordlessly, she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips against his. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as hers remained on his neck, they settled into a familiar passion against each other. Resistance and turmoil seemed to be thrown to the wind as she opened her mouth to him, feeling his tongue explore her mouth. His fingers ran through her hair, cupping the back of her head softly. The urgency of the kiss somehow juxtaposed the languid way they held each other.

_It felt like they had forever._

"Mama." A small voice cried out, causing them to jump apart quickly.

"Melody?" She found her own voice, moving quickly towards the base of the stairs. She could see her daughter at the top of the steps, rubbing her eyes softly.

"I was looking for you." Her sleepy eyes drooped. "I woke up and you weren't there."

She raced up the stairs quickly, kneeling down to her daughter's height. "Just go back to bed, I'll be there in five minutes sweetheart. I promise."

"Ok." She watched her daughter sleepily walk back into the room, before turning on her heel down the stairs to see Avery pulling his jacket on manically.

"What's going on?" She questioned, looking at him scrambling for his keys. "Are you… leaving?"

He tripped over the edge of the rug a bit, catching his balance quickly. "Where are those damn keys?"

"Avery." She repeated incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"I have to…" His eyes darted back and forth like a dear in headlights, trailing off. "I have to get out of here."

"Seriously?" Her confusion grew, as her hands clenched and unclenched. "After what just happened?"

"I don't know what just happened." He found his keys on the coffee table and grabbed them quickly. "I just don't know."

"You don't know what happened." She repeated, feeling the anger spring up in her.

"I just need to think without you..." He ran his hands through his hair, "I don't know, _watching me_."

"_Watching_ you? What the hell are you talking about?" Her voice spilled out like venom watching his back edge faster and faster towards the door, as her heart bottomed out. "You're just gonna leave. Real mature." She voice spit out words like knives.

_She hated him._ There was no other emotion in this moment but pure hatred.

"And you accused me for being the one who left when things got tough." Her voice broke a little, before regaining its grit, spitting fire at his turned back. "You _blamed_ me."

He froze, hand on the opened doorway, gripping tightly.

"I guess some things never change." Her voice was biting. She couldn't stop. Everything was welling out of her fast. "You never have the balls to stick around when push comes to shove."

He turned slowly, with nothing but fire in his eyes. He stepped dangerously close to her. "That's a comment you don't want to be throwing out lightly Juliette."

She jerked back, hands placed between them to create distance. _It would always be there._ No matter how many times she apologized, he would never forgive her. Why had she thought otherwise? Her eyes stung. "I think you should leave."

His face had softened a little at change in tone. "Juliette."

"I'm tired Avery. I'm tired of this." She shut her eyes tight, refusing to look at him anymore. If she looked at him, her resolve would break. "What just happened...It didn't really mean anything. It wasn't real."

What was real was the anger between them. The biting words. Not what had just happened before.

What was real was the fact that they were getting divorced tomorrow, and no… _whatever that had been… _could change that.

What was real was the fact that she still loved him. She could feel it in the way her heart lurched towards him, even though she hated him with everything in her.

What was also real was the fact that he wanted to leave. _He wanted to be done_.

Her eyes remained closed, pushing everything out of her head.

"Juliette."

"Avery," She clenched her teeth in forced defiance. ""You said you needed time to think, so go."

Her eyes finally opened, waiting for his next words.

"I think," He looked at her in a way that almost threw her off balance. "That I wanna stay."


End file.
